Sept 15 – following info (edited) is supplied by San K5YY, who is NH8S 60m Pilot station:

Conditions NOT good, S9 QRN on 60m. May try tomorrow at announced times of 0900 to 1100Z but it does NOT look good at this time. Also, much bad weather conditions, antennas down, operators sick and tired and dehydrated and with some wounds requiring medical care. Team will likely start breaking down stations on Sunday for a possible early departure from Swains. So, if you listen on 60m, try tomorrow at USA sunrise times or perhaps earlier like 0900Z. Nothing guaranteed and conditions receive-wide are horrible on 60m. Situation does not look for a big effort on 60m and maybe tomorrow will be only attempt before going QRT. John, 5W0QQ also reports to me that conditions S9 QRM today, and barely heard one station on 60m..Keep monitoring the NH8S website for late information. Sorry I do not have better news for the 60m gang, but Joe has been making an effort to try and get on during all other hectic situations going on there. Again, an early QRT is expected. Conditions not good for the operators.

Sure hope all works out well on the exit, etc. Tuff conditions (100f+ daily, whew!) all around. Even if they shut down today, they have already done a great job!

I'm telling you, we gotta start getting more young guys on these trips. Heat,etc. is Really tough on old guys anymore, especially while performing "light" physical labor. (Trust me...... I KNOW! ) Again, I hope all ends well. The scrapes and bruises will certainly heal & mend over time, but their memories of a job well done will last forever.

Sure hope all works out well on the exit, etc. Tuff conditions (100f+ daily, whew!) all around. Even if they shut down today, they have already done a great job!

I'm telling you, we gotta start getting more young guys on these trips. Heat,etc. is Really tough on old guys anymore, especially while performing "light" physical labor. (Trust me...... I KNOW! ) Again, I hope all ends well. The scrapes and bruises will certainly heal & mend over time, but their memories of a job well done will last forever.

Where do you expect these young operators to come from? We must face facts. This hobby is slowly dying out. During (I think it was the Worked all Asia contest) the average age of the stations I worked where older than I, and I just turned 53 which is not really old by an actuary chart.

Today's young kids are into computers and things like Facebook. Amateur Radio is the furthest thing from their minds. As my 18 year old niece and Goddaughter (who entered college two years early) would say, "Not cool", or "Boring".

It's very easy to come up with a platitude like every Dxpedition should create a new ham as well as an ATNO, but I have yet to see anybody come up with ways to draw today's young kids to the hobby. And that's why I'm convinced this hobby is dying out. Facts ARE really stubborn things.

Sorta. Today's kids aren't into building computers, fixing them or even programming them. Yes, they are into using them especially for social networking.

Seems that half the kids only want to be film makers or get into "sports management." At least they now see law school as a joke, a fancy name for three years of unemployment ...followed of more years of unemployment.

The problem is not just radios, or computers. Kids these days don't tinker with anything. Most notably cars.

Where do you expect these young operators to come from? We must face facts. This hobby is slowly dying out. During (I think it was the Worked all Asia contest) the average age of the stations I worked where older than I, and I just turned 53 which is not really old by an actuary chart.

Today's young kids are into computers and things like Facebook. Amateur Radio is the furthest thing from their minds. As my 18 year old niece and Goddaughter (who entered college two years early) would say, "Not cool", or "Boring".

It's very easy to come up with a platitude like every Dxpedition should create a new ham as well as an ATNO, but I have yet to see anybody come up with ways to draw today's young kids to the hobby. And that's why I'm convinced this hobby is dying out. Facts ARE really stubborn things.

73,

Chris/NU1O

Ham Radio...The only hobby on the face of the earth that has been on life support since 1910!.....STOP IT, MAN!....The Gloom And Doom Blog is on another site....... .......

I don't necessarily think you have to have great teams of kids flocking into the hobby--in fact, I think that would be quite unpleasant. What's needed are college age types and 20- or 30-somethings, who have both intelligence and a little more maturity.

As for bringing in fresh blood to DXpeditioning, the real key isn't age, but money. Maybe if the big players were to agree to fully sponsor (including airfare) one new operator for each trip that would be a start. I can't see all that many people having a spare $10-$15,000 lying around doing nothing these days! Let there be some kind of audition or application process. Naturally, whoever's chosen would need to be Elmered extensively before and during, and not just used as a gopher whilst on the DXpedition!

Logged

www.facebook.com/W2IRTNight gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll.

According to the ULS statistics, we have more licensed hams now in the U.S. than any time in the history of the country and amateur radio.

What facts are you looking at that gives the opposite measurement? Facts please.

It's not really the number of licensed hams. It's the number of active DX'ers. Even T32C, who was active for a full month with nine stations (most of the time) on 160m-6m, and begging the last week, worked 49,098 unique calls. Anyone that wanted to work them could have, but only a tiny percentage of licensed hams worldwide did.

NH8S worked 26,010 unique calls, so there was still a lot demand for them when they ended.

It's not really the number of licensed hams. It's the number of active DX'ers. Even T32C, who was active for a full month with nine stations (most of the time) on 160m-6m, and begging the last week, worked 49,098 unique calls. Anyone that wanted to work them could have, but only a tiny percentage of licensed hams worldwide did.

NH8S worked 26,010 unique calls, so there was still a lot demand for them when they ended.

Ok, those are facts, but they don't show that DX'ing is on the decrease. Where's the numbers for previous DXpeditions to the same locations?

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